Oxford 2010: What is the BBC for?

Chaired by Jean Seaton (director of the Orwell Prize, official historian of the BBC)

The twelfth of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2010.

The last few years have been difficult ones for the BBC, with controversies ranging from Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand’s infamous radio prank to accusations of bias in news coverage, and from the role of BBC Worldwide (the Beeb’s commercial arm) to the Gaza appeal. But fundamentally, why does the BBC exist, and are its traditional aims still relevant in the 21st century? These are particularly relevant questions given the forthcoming election.